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Thursday, October 13, 2011

Rebecca's Challenge: Make Your Own Simple Living Manifesto

Here we are at Day 60 of the 72 Ideas in 72 Days Project. Over the past two months, some items in the original Simple Living Manifesto have been relevant to me, some not. Either way, it's been valuable to at least reflect--however briefly--on each one.

I would like to pose a challenge to my fellow 72-Days-Project participants: On Day 73, take a look back at the 72 ideas and your posts here. Note which ideas have worked for you, think of anything that you might add to that list, and write your manifesto--one that is an actual manifesto (i.e., a declaration of principles and intentions, in the first person).*

In other words, synthesize what you've learned during the project and make it your own.

Here's my draft so far. Sixty items--some repetitive, some non-applicable--boiled down to just 15. (And I bet I can edit some of these down even further.) How's that for simplification?

I will proceed carefully on new commitments, making sure they align with my priorities (see #1), ensuring ample free time to spend doing what I love, with the people I love.

Every day, I will use my time in ways aligned with my priorities (see #1).

At the beginning of each week, I will create an organized to-do list (for work and home projects alike) of most important tasks. With this list, I will direct myself to the most important projects to focus on each day.

I will continue to work on limiting my communications, taking periodic email vacations, etc.

I'm a writer and editor living on Massachusetts' North Shore with my little family of three (that's including me), and I try to keep our lives relatively simple, as compared to the traditional "American Dream." I know there's no one perfect roadmap to simplifying your life, but Zen Habits has compiled a list that represents a pretty good start: The Simple Living Manifesto, a list of ideas that should help anyone trying to lead a simpler life.

Starting on 8/15/11, I and my fellow contributors will be working through the ideas in the Simple Living Manifesto one day at a time for a period of 72 days. This is where we will write about our experiences, whether we're successful, we fail, or we find that the day's idea is impossible. Expect honesty, and feel free to participate. I've created an open Facebook event where people can sign up to join the 72 Ideas in 72 Days project. If you're interested in blogging along or having your relevant posts linked, email me at christa d terry at gmail.